Q. Overall, would workers be better off or worse off if unions in Australia were stronger?

10 Sept 12

Total

20 May 13

Vote Labor

Vote Lib/Nat

Vote Greens

Work full time

Work part time

Total better off

39%

43%

65%

28%

61%

43%

44%

Total worse off

30%

29%

11%

50%

10%

32%

28%

A lot better off

13%

14%

23%

7%

26%

15%

14%

A little better off

26%

29%

42%

21%

35%

28%

30%

A little worse off

15%

14%

9%

19%

9%

15%

16%

A lot worse off

15%

15%

2%

31%

1%

17%

12%

Make no difference

15%

12%

10%

12%

16%

13%

11%

Don’t know

15%

14%

13%

10%

12%

12%

17%

The perception that workers would be better off with stronger unions has increased since this question was asked in September last year. 43% (up 4%) felt that workers would be better off if unions in Australia were stronger and 29% (down 1%) that believed workers would be worse off.

By voting intention, 65% of Labor voters and 61% of Greens voters believed that workers would be better off while Coalition voters were by far the most likely to believe that workers would be worse off (50%).

51% of respondents on incomes of $600-$1,000pw thought that workers would be better off with stronger unions.